Non-fading beauty
In Austria, colour fastness is a highly important criterion. More than 100 out of 350 textile standards describe test methods for this aspect of textiles and clothing. Their colours should not fade on account of steam, sweat, sea water nor chlorinated or hot water.
In addition to colour fastness, several specialised fields are covered by comprehensive standards. For people with sensitive skin, for example, it is important that textiles protect against ultraviolet radiation from the sun. The standard EN ISO 13758 was developed for that purpose. The determination of several azo colorants that are classified as carcinogens and, therefore, banned by law is regulated by ÖNORM ISO 14362 (2 parts).
Leather (for shoes, furniture or the interior of cars) is the subject of around 140 standards. In harmony with International and European standards, they define the requirements to be met by widely used test methods.
Dressed to protect
This is essential especially when it comes to children’s clothing. As a result, special standards focus, for example, on drawstrings and cords on children’s clothing. Burning behaviour, too, has to comply with certain standards. Protective clothing is dealt with in more than 80 different standards. These include specifications for the workwear of welders, metal workers or fire-fighters designed to keep them safe during their dangerous work. Special standards also define requirements for sportswear for pros and amateurs alike: protective clothes, shoes and padding are the only “crumple zone” for motorcyclists, horse riders or ice hockey players that can reduce injuries.
Current developments
The International Standard ÖNORM EN ISO 3758 and its care labelling codes that provide instructions on how to wash, clean and iron clothes is being updated. Work is also under way to harmonise size designations, but agreement still has to be achieved on the specifications.
For further details and information on current developments, please see the thematic portal "Textiles and Clothing" on the Website of the Austrian Standards Institute.
- Author:
- Mag. Priska Koiner
- Source:
- Dr. Johannes Stern. Austrian Standards Institute
